They should have gone with the original back-up for Maguire for spidey 3 - Jake Gyllenhaal (sp?). That guy can play, geeky, heroic, brooding and dark as well as anyone.

Alternatively, I reckon Rafe Spall might be a good choice. Now, before you start yelling, listen to this - he buffed up well recently for Kidulthood, and between that film and Green Street, it's pretty onvious he can do the dark and serious as well as the comic. I reckon he's a really bloody good dramatic actor just waiting for the right role. Shame people only remember him either as Timothy's son or as the big fat teenage shop assistant off SotD.

Sounds to me like the talks haven't been going well and he wants a easier role on the fourth i wonder who they would get to direct the forth i am up for it i loved all 3 films but at the end of the day he had is turn let some one else try it.For the last time Riami was forced to put venom in the third he doesn't like venom thats why he made no effort on venom

SM3 stank of a director not being given the freedom that he felt he had (and he had) earned knowingly making a turd and in this he succeeded. A shadow of it's former self. Let it go Sam and focus youe attentions on something else. But not the Hobbit please! If production of this stalls beyond 2009 the rights change hands and then Jackson will be a sure thing, fingers crossed everyone.

Sam didn't have freedom pete Avri arad forced him to put venom in the third i think ppl should cut him some slack he did make two great spideys and an average one he didn't ruin the franchise ppl still love spidey god ppl are so negative

I'd have to say no to a fourth installment. I was really let down by 3 (Raimi has only himself to blame for it) and would hate to see another travesty put up on the screen. Best thing is to leave it alone for ten years then come back to it in the way Batman did.

I'm sorry but I never thought Raimi was the right man for the job. Admittedly the first two Spideys were good but they were hardly the best they could've been?! The 3rd was downright terrible and not just because of the Venom story arc. Please God, don't let him do The Hobbit. It'd be an absolute disaster...

Three was the mess it was because of the studio's demands not Raimi.He just wanted the Goblin conclusion and Sandman's role was much bigger, Venom was crowbarred in by Arad enforcing it for toy sales and the kiddie 'golden ticket' dollar signs.Raimi hates the venom character and in order to stay on as director of his belovered Spiderman he conceeded to the studio.Blame Avi Arad for number 3 not Raimi.

its all up to the studio and to be honest 900 mill is not a bad gross and the studio will see no need to change spideys director .As for the Hobbit there is only one man for the job and hopefully New line mess about long enough for the rights to go back to MGM and they get to make a great film like they use to do back in the golden days

Hopefully Sam Raimi will come back and bring the brilliant energy that he had with the 3rd movie. If anyone else takes over i just cant see it working. But if they decide to change mary jane i dont mind, for me kirsten dunst was the only actress from the 3 movies I never really took too.

Spiderman 3 rocked! Why is everyone dissing it? I think ppl expected someting that just couldn't be delivered. PPl should have been mad, the original story was Gwen Stacy's & not MJ's. I hope that Sam comes back on the fourth film, as well as the rest of the cast, maybe we can see some more of Gwen. Although I don't know what they'll do now that Harry is dead, unless he comes back as a clone. Would be cool to see the Black Cat come in on the third one with Doc Conners as the villain.

Rami needs to return! He has managed to wrap the Spiderman franchise in a great web of nostalgia, adventure, romance, comedy and action. All with a light hearted family friendly note. His vision and direction is needed to maintain the quality. Look what happened to X-Men 3 when Singer left. And look what a tripe he made out of Superman in result. Sorry Empire, your wrong, Superman Returns sucked ass. Stiff, lifeless actors (bar Spacey) with a who-gives-a-shit story (bar the spacey evil plot). But Spiderman has kept getting better and better. Spiderman 1 was, as all movie franchises when they start at the beginning, an applaudable effort. When you consider everyone knew what was going to happen (bar the death of Green Goblin, didn't expect that to be honest. Thought they'd leave that character open, but when you consider what they've done to carry on that character with young Osborne, Bravo!). Spiderman 2 was ok. And I still don't see what people like about it so much. It was boring plain and simple. Doc Ock was amazing but he filled the screen for seems like no-more than 20 minutes. The rest is pansy Peter Parker struggling with his job, studies and love life. Boo-Hoo, who cares? Get to fighting the bad guys! Which brings me neatly to the original point I wanted to make, which is WHY slag off Spiderman 3? I don't get it. From start to finish I was on the edge of my seat!! The one film in the spiderman franchise that could have used the title 'The Amazing'. Too many bad guys?!?!? No such thing. Venom and Sandman tag team VS. Spiderman and Green Goblin! Your complaining!?!?! Keeping the romance to a limit was excellant, it hit home all the points and made amusing and heart felt. The comedy was in tact (thanks Bruce), the emotions of all the characters rang through and it had great fight after great fight! It was brilliant from start to end. No disappointment at all. Sandmans transformation, while briefly explained, was a marvel to watch on screen. The story between Ha